Daily Schedule

7:30am- Special Morning Programs
Around 7:45 some campers are already starting their program day. A cabin fishing trip is well on its way at the camp lake. A group of campers and staff are beginning their day with a morning yoga class, meditation, or warmup. Only a small portion of the camp is going this early; morning activities rarely meet more than three times a week, and All early morning programs are optional.

8:15am- Breakfast
We run a “quiet dining hall” — no chanting or singing, banging on tables or running around. Quiet, pleasant conversation is the norm. Younger campers sit at assigned tables that change each week. Visit our food page for menus, chef bios, and details on our outstanding foodservice; emphasizing fresh, local, and sustainably-produced foods. 

After breakfast there are announcements; Staff announce the morning’s schedule, calling rehearsals, classes, and other activities. Campers are encouraged to approach staff with their interests during mealtimes, when everyone in present, and staff seek out and plan with campers who have expressed interest in the dining hall as well. 

9:30am-12pm- Morning Activities
Following a little free time after breakfast, campers and staff go to program areas for the morning: 9:30-12:00.

Rock
The rock department is busy all morning with band rehearsals, instrumental lessons, and open studios for jamming and camper-created bands.

Art
The art studios are open all morning; interested campers can work on a special project with our visiting artists, work on their own projects, or start a new projects with guidance from the studio staff.

Dance
We offer dance classes all morning, and Dance Intensive campers' mornings are filled with technique and composition classes.

Theater
About half of the plays and musicals have regular full-cast work sessions in the mornings. Campers in “half-day” theater will rehearse either in the morning or the afternoon.

Other
The whole camp is active and busy all morning: instrumental and vocal music, video and film, sports, swimming, creative writing, ensembles, and more all happen in the morning. A “free swim” is typically available 11:00-12:00.

12:00pm-Clear the Hill
Campers and staff return to cabins at 12:00. Since every camper has their own schedule during activity periods consisting of rehearsals, classes, time in the art studios or the sports area, this is an important time to ‘re-group’ at the cabin before the meal. These cabin times are part of our balance between structure and freedom in the program; although very little time is spent as a ‘cabin group’ during the day, these times are important to keep each busy day flowing smoothly. Campers are accounted for at 11 different times per day, whether it’s as a cabin or a table in the dining hall.

12:30pm- Lunch
Visit our food page for menus, chef bios, and details on our outstanding foodservice; emphasizing fresh, local, and sustainably-produced foods. Each table in the dining hall seats 5 or 6; with at least one staff-person at each table in our main dining room.

1:20-2:20pm- Rest Hour
Each day campers and staff return to their cabins to relax after lunch. Campers write letters (yes, real letters!), play quiet games, and nap. We run a very active program, and this mid-day rest is essential for everyone. 

2:30pm- One Minute Performance
The whole camp gathers for a one-minute performance each day: it can be dance, music, spoken-word, or any form. It's followed by a short recap of the afternoon schedule of rehearsals, classes, and other activities, as well as news about upcoming productions and activities.

3:00-5:00pm- Afternoon Activities
As in the morning, all campers and staff go to their rehearsals, classes, and other activities. About half of the plays and musicals will have a full cast work session during the afternoon. No one is in the cabin areas during these activity times: At Ballibay the cabins are not a focal point of camp life; the program areas are where campers make their important lasting friendships. Free swim is available 4:00-5:00 most days.

The Five O’Clock Special
Nearly every day there is an informal performance or showing from a group of campers at 5 PM: work-in-progress from the dance classes, original songs by camper-formed bands, instrumental or vocal ensembles, and short performances and exhibitions of all types set all over the beautiful Ballibay campus. Campers proceed directly from the Five-O'Clock Special to the dining hall for dinner.

5:30pm- Dinner
Visit our food page for menus, chef bios, and details on our outstanding foodservice; emphasizing fresh, local, and sustainably-produced foods.

6:30-7pm- Free Time and Sports
A break in our program day, this is free time ‘on the hill,’ a chance for busy campers to play sports, read, or relax. The sports field is very active every day at this time, with volleyball, softball, and soccer.

7:00-8:00pm- Evening Activities
During the evening activities all of our program areas are open. Full-cast theatre rehearsals do not meet so that campers busy in theater all day can participate in other activities.

Theater & Technical Theater
Usually, a show is preparation, and many campers are busy with sound-checks, costume and makeup, video team meetings, and technical theater cue-to-cues.

Rock
Some rock bands rehearse in the evenings, and there are spaces open for jamming, camper-formed bands, and special rock projects.

Art
The art studios are always busy in the evenings, with lots of campers who are otherwise engaged in the AM and PM coming to the studios to work on their projects.

Dance
Dance classes continue in the evenings, and this is priority rehearsal time for Dance Intensive campers.

8:00pm-Back to Cabins
Campers and staff return to cabins at 8:00. Since every camper has their own schedule during activity periods consisting of rehearsals, classes, time in the art studios or the sports area, this is an important time to ‘re-group’ at the cabin.

These cabin times are part of our balance between structure and freedom in the program; although very little time is spent as a ‘cabin group’ during the day, these times are important to keep each busy day flowing smoothly.

8:40 pm- Evening Program
The majority of our nights are filled with theatrical productions, dance and music concerts, camper cabarets and special events including movie nights, dj dances, and a band night each session. The nights are a particularly important part of what makes Ballibay a special place; over the course of three weeks at camp, a camper will see and/or participate in cabarets, plays, musicals, a band night, a dance concert, a dj dance, 2 movie nights, a jam night, and a bonfire with songs & stories!
Campers not involved in the performing arts have live entertainment almost every night, and campers in the performing arts have a wide variety of performance opportunities, and constant inspiration!

Back to Cabins
Campers and staff return to cabins after the Nighttime program. Nighttime programs typically last 30 minutes to one hour; depending on the cabin's bedtime, this means that some campers will be getting ready for bed as soon as they get back to cabin, while older cabins will have some time together as a cabin group before "lights out."

Lights Out
‘Lights out’ time varies from cabin to cabin, from just a few minutes after the evening program for the youngest campers to 45 minutes or so after the evening program for the older cabins.

Our staff makes sure that campers get enough sleep and that campers who want to sleep are not disturbed. Our days are long and plenty of rest is essential for campers of all ages and our hardworking staff.

One counselor is always in the cabin from the end of the evening program through breakfast the next morning. Our office is staffed until 1:00 am every night for any night-time difficulties, and directors, the deans, and our camp nurse are available 24 hours a day for any serious problems.